Feed mechanism for sewing-machines.



n 4 A. L.DAws'o N. FEED MECHNIBM FOB SEWING MACHINES.

PPLATII `PILEID IY ll 190. 1,002,652, Patented Sep1;.5,1911,

l SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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A. 71.*, DAWSON. FEED MEGHANISM FOB SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIUATIOI FILED `HAY 25, 1909.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

2 BHEETHHEET 2.

nmntoi @muy v UNITEDV VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTEMAS Ii. DAWSON, 0F DEVALL BLUF, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOEL M. MCCLINTOCK, 0I"A DEVALL BLUFFJARKANSAS.

FEED MECHANISMI FORy SEWING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern-f' it known that I,y Anrmras Loan DAW son, a citizen of the United States, residing at llln'all Bluff, in the county of Prairie and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful In'iprovements in Feed Mechanism `For Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to feed mechanism for sowing machines, and particularl y tio a means for controlling the ao tion of the fabric feeding device. r

The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the direction of feed motion of the feed plate or device may be reversed for stitching backward and to secure the ends of a seam against loosening or raveling, or sew a zigzagor irregular seam without turning 'the fabric, or whereby the feed plate or device may be reciprocated back and forth to sew any one stitch over and over at one point and make, what I term a shuttle stitch to tie or lock the thread against raveling. l

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described'V and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Whichz-T Figure l is a frlont elevation the parts of a feed mechanism embodying my invention, showing such parts in normal p osltion. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Ithe same. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view. Fig. 4 is a View similar/co Fig. 1 showing the parts shifted Vfr producing the shutlie stitch.

Figs. 5 vand G are cross sectional -views on line of Fig. 2 showing the auxiliary paw] indierent positions in its orbit of moven'ient. Fig. 7 is a view of the latch plate. Fig. 8 is a. View showing one of the many applications of the.` invention to 'a feed mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates a shaft of the machine on which is a cam or eccentric 2, which, through the medium of a rod or pi tnian 3, communicates motion to a rock shaft Ll carrying a crank or rocher arm which imparts a vertical oscillatory inotion to the, feed bar or' plate (i. The shaftl also communicates motion in the ordinary manner through any suitable known type of operating means to the needle Specification ot Letters Patent.

Application led May 25, 1909. Serial No. 498,286.

Patented Sept. 5, 1.911.

and are .controlled in action by'my improved feed controlling means for the purposes described.

Looscly mounted on the shaft 1 is a sliding sleeve 10 provided at one end with an annular groove 11 receiving a pin or projectlon 12 on a shifting lever 13, by Wmch said sleeve may be longitudinally adjusted on the shaft- The lever is pivotally mounted at its lower end on the frame of the machine in any suitable manner for movement 1n a direction parallel with and longitudinally of the shaft, and carries a spring plate locki ing latch 14. The upper Vend of the lever and the free end of the latch pass through a slot 15 in a latch plate 16 fixed to the frame of the machine The free end of the4 spring dog is normally movable away from the lever to engage the end portions 17 and 18 of the front wall of the slot or to engage an intermediate notch or recess 19 therein` for the purpose of locking the sleeve in (liften ent positions, as hereinafter described.

Keyed or otherwise lixed to the shaft be tween the sleeve 10 and a laterally extending clutch collar 20 on the head of the` 'eccentric 7 is a clutch collar or member 21, having a transverse openn'ig 22 for passage of a stem Q3, one end of which also passes through an' opening in a lug 24 on the sleeve 1.0 and is adjustably and detachably secured thclgel'o by a set screw 25. The opposite end of vthe stem carries a lug or projectiorrQf'h which is adapted toengag'e either one of 4.two pins or projections 2.7 and 28 arranged at an angle of aboutI lil()o apart on the collar p 20 and on opposite sides of the circumferential center of said borrar. head and its collar 2() -reloosely mounted on the shaft l, and tho'stem 23. and itsprojection 2G provide a pawl adapted to engage. the pins or teeth 27 and 28 to form a. clutch connection for transmitting a continuous motion from the shaft to the eccentric 7.

The eccentric A stem 29 is mounted to rock or oscillate upon the collar 21 and extends at each end beyond the same. One end of this stem carries a pawl plate 30 intermediately mounted thereon to provide an arm 31 to engage the ins 27 and 28 and an arm 32 adapted to e engaged by the finger 33 of a bell crank trip member 34 pivotally mounted upon a post 35 fixed to the frame of the machine and normally held depressed in operative position by a spring 3o. In such position the trip is rigid to engage and retract the pawl plate.3(), but the spring permits said trip to yield upwardly and permit 'passage of the pawl plate when the shaft is rear- 4 wardly rotated for any purpose, as in etliecting an adjustment of the needle bar. 'lhc pawl plate is of sufficient width to engage either one of the pins 27 and 28, and its stem 29 is connected by a spring 37 with the collar 21, which spring tends'to turn the stem to throw the engaging arm of the pawlinto the path of either one of said pins. The opposite end of the stem 29 projects 'over the collar 10 and is provided with a pin or projection 38 to engage opposite plain surfaces 4() or 41, or Tan intermediate notch 42 in `a lug.43 projecting radially from said collar, the construction being such that the pin 38 is in engagement with one of the surfaces 40 and 41 when the spring latch 14 of the lever 13 is in engagement with the portion 17 or 18'0f the locking plate 16, while the in is in engagement with the notch 42 w ien the spring latch occupies the reces's 19 of the locking plate.

It will be understood fromthe foregoing description that the tooth 2h of the pawl 23 may be in- .engagement with either pin27 or 28 in the arrangement of the parts of the mechanism for theforward or backward feed of the fabric or goods, as the case may be, in sewing a seam. Assuming that the arts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, 1n. which the lever 13 is shifted so Athat the latch bears'against the surface 17 and the pawl tooth 26 is in engagement with the pin 28, Wh-ile the pin 38 is 1n engagen'ient with the surface 40 of the lug 43 to hold the pawl 30 retracted, -the o erator on reaching the'end of the seam by s ifting the lever 13 to its opposite position in which the latch 14 engages the surface 18, the tooth 215 of the paw 23 shifted out of engagement with the pin 28 to a position to engage the pin 27 and the pin 38 shifted into engagement with the surface 41 of the lug 43 to hold the vpawl 30 still retracted, will disconnect thtl eccentric 7 from the shaft 1 so that thcshafl will make a half revolution before thc tooth 26 comes into engagement with the pin 27 and again couples` said eccentric to the shaft. ,During this period of half revolution of the shaft the mechanism operated by the eccentric 2 will continue in action, so that upon the engagement of the tooth 2G with the pin 27 the feed bar or plate t3 will be set in a position for transmitting a backward feed motion to the goods or fabric. A reverse scam may thus be. sewed in -the fabric for any distance from the end of the seam, to either double the strength of the seam, or to tie or lock the end of the thread, which latter may then be severed .to free the fabric. If thc tooth 2G should be in engagement with the pin 27 when the parts of the feed mechanism are arranged for action to feed the fabric forward in sewing the seam, the reverse motion of the fabric may be obtained by shifting the lever to the reverse position from that shown in Fig. l, so as tomove the spring latch 14 from engagement with the surface 17 into engagement with the surface 18 of the locking plate, By this means the.tooth 2G will be brought into a position to engage the pin 28 and the eccentric 7 will be disconnected from the shaft 1 during a period of a half revolution of the latter to set the mechanism for a reverse feed motion of the fabric in the manner previously described. A shifting of the operating lever to its opposite position from the reverse Afeed motion position, wherever that may be, will restore the parts to a position for normal or forward feed motion, as will be readily understood.

It isldesirable under some conditions to tie or lock the thread in a; different manner from that described in order that the thread may be tied wit-hin the length of a single stitch, which is accomplished by adjusting the feed mechanism to reciprocate the feed plate back and forth to stitch over and over through the fabric at one point and make what I term a shuttle stitch. In adjust-4 ing. the feed mechanism for this operation, the lever 13 is moved to a central position in which the latch 14 engages the notch It) of the locking plate lo. This adjustment brings the tooth 2G of the pawl 23 to an `intermediate position on a line between the pins 27 and 28 so thatit will not'engage therewith, while at the same time the pawl 30 will be adjusted -so as to permit the pin 38 to-enter the recess 42, whereby the spring 37 may act to turn the pawl 3() to bring the edge of its operating arm 31 into enoagev nient with the adjacent pin 27 or 28, which .ever it may be, and to bring its trip arm 32 into position to be engaged by the finger 33 of the trip device 34 on cach revolution of the shaft 1. Assuming that the pawl engages thepin 2T, it will be understood that the fabric thelength of a single stitch, at which time tht` arm 3;). will engage the finger 33, by which the pawl 30 will be tilted and released from engagement with the pin 27.

The eccentric 7 will thus remain at rest for a half revolution during the time of the the parts will be set for a reverse motion of stitch, or until the pavvl engages the pin 28, whereby the feed plate will be reciprocated in the reverse direction, at the end of which motion the pawl will again be retracted by the trip device. In this manner the pawl will alternately engage the two pins 27 and Q8 to effect the rcci-procation of the feed plate to move the fabric back and forth the length of a single stitch at proper intervals to stitch over and over through the fabric at a single point, thus locking the end of the thread in an effective manner. After the thread isl severed .for the release of the fabric, the mechanism may beshifted for a :forward feed motion in the manner previously described. By adjusting the mecha-v nism the'thread may be tied or locked at the beginning or end of the seam in either of the ways described, as will be readily understood.

In making a garment or other-article lconsisting of several or many parts, two or more of the parts, after having been sewed together, may have to be handled many times before all these parts are united to form the complete garment. In this repeated handling of the unfinished parts, the

ends of the seams are subjected to more or less strain, which loosens the stitches at the ends of the seams, and if the threads of the seams have been cut off close to the fabric, one or more of the stitches may ravel out. To avoid this, careful operators leave sufficient length of loose or free thread at each end of a seam and then tie the loose ends to form a knot, Vto prevent raveling.` This loss of thread and time is'avoided by in invention, since, having either shuttle stitched or backward stitched the end of the seam, the' thread .is effectually locked against raveling and the threads may be cut olf close up to the fabric. Further, when it is de sired to sew a zigzag seam across a piece of fabric, to either strengthen or stiften it, my mechanism renders the operation easyy and rapid, by avoiding the repeated reversals Vof the. fabric that are necessary in .sewing machines as ordinarily constructed.

Claims:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination` with a. feed mechanism einbodyinga reciprocating feed device having a feed motion in a determined' plane for normally feeding the fabric forward, of means foi' controlling `aid .mechanism to automatically reciprocate said fceddevice alternately back and forth in its normal plane of movement within the range of a .single stitch -to impart a corresponding back and forth feed motion to 'the fabric.

2. In a? sewing machine, a feed device have ingu longitudinal feed motion for normally feeding the fabric forward, operating means i therefor, and controlling means for regu. lating the action of said operating means to automatically reciprocate the feed device back and forth in its normal plane of movement for alternatel feeding the fabric backwaid and foi-Ward7 within the range of a.I single stitch.

3. In a sewing machine, a feed bar, means for horizontally and vertically reciprocating the saine in fixed paths, means for varying one of said motions relative tothe other to reverse the direction of feed motion of said bar, and means for alternately varying such motions relative to each other to automatically and alternately reverse the feed inotions of the bar in its normal plane of movi ment within the range of'a single stitch.

4:. In a sewing machine, a feed bar, ymean.L for horizontally oscillating said ba;i,n'icans for vertically oscillating said bar, said means operating to horizontally and vertically oscillate the bar in fixed lines, means for antilimatically changing the action of the latternamed means to-change the direction of feed motion of the bar, and manually controlled means for Setting said automatic means for action.

5. In a sewing' machine, a feed bar having a vertical and a back and forth horizontal oscillating motion in a direct line, automatic means forvarying one of said motions relative to the other to change Lie direction ofV 'feed motion of the bar in said line, and controlling means for setting said autoimitic means for action. 5, Y

`6. In a sewing machine, the combination with the feed bar, and devices for vertically land horizontally oscillating said bar, of means for teinporari ly arresting the means for horizontally oscillating said bar for automatically alternately reversing the direction of feed movement thereof. l'

7. Ina sewing machine, tbe coi'nbinaticn. with a feed bar, of defines for horizontally oscillating the bar, devices for vertically oscillating the bar, and automatic means for producing a relative lost motion between the devices to 'reverse the direction of feed motion of the bar.

8. A sewing machine emboilying a feed bar, means` for vertically oscillating the bar, means for horizontally oscillating the bar, means for controlling the horizontally os cillating means to reverse the directioi'i of feed motion of the bar to feed tbc fabric backward, and means for controlling said horizontally oscillating means for alt-e1'- nately reciprocating the feed vbar back and fort-h to impart a corresponding motion to the fabric.

9, In a sewing machine, a feed bar having reverse the direction of feed motion ofl the bar, means for setting said controlling means for operation, and means for shifting said setting means.

l0. ln a sewing n'iachinc, the coi'nbination of a, niain shaft. a feed bar, means for horizontally oscillating the bai' including a cani on the shaft, said cani being provided with a clutch nieuil'iei having spaced contacts. a enacting clutch member on the shaft for engaging' either of said contacts, and means for auton'iatically shifting the latter named clutch member.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination of a main shaft, a feed bar, means for horizontalliY ocillating the bar including a cam on the shaft, said cambeing provided with a clutch member having spaced contacts, a coaeting clinch member adapted to engage said contar-ts, and means for L'controlling said enacting clutch member to alternately engage said contacts.

1Q. In a sewing machine, the combination of a main shaft, a feed bar, means for horin zontally oscillating the feed bar including a cam loose on the shaft and provided with spaced contacts, a member fixed to the shaft and carrying adog adjustable to engage either of said contacts, means-for adjusting said dog, a pawl carried by said fixed member for coperation with the contacts, means for alternately throwing said pawl into and out of action,.and means for rendering said pawl inoperative.

12. In a sewing machine, the combination with a fabric feedin device, and op-v erating mechanism for horizontally and vertically oscillating said device in fixed paths, of means for controlling said mechanism to vary such oscillating motions to adjust the feeding device for a continuous backward and forward feed motion, and means for controlling said feed mechanism to vary the oscillating motions to adjust the feeding device for a constant back and forth feed motion in its paths of action and within the range of a single stitch.

14. In a feedin mechanism for sewing machines, the com ination of a drive shaft, a feed bar, eccentrics, one fixed to-and the other loosely mounted on the shaft, means actuated by 4vsaidl -eccentrics for vertically and horizontally oscillating the feed han! and a clutch connection between the shaft.

and loose eccentric'controllable to set said eccentric to transmit a forward or backward feed motion to the feed bar or a reciprocatory feed motion to said bar.

15. In a feedin mechanism for sewing machines, the com ina-tion of a drive shaft, a. feed. bar, an eccentric loosely mounted on the shaft, connecting means between the eccentric and feed bar for oscillating the latter, 'a clutch connection between the shaft and eccentric for reversing the direction of feed motion of the bar, said clutch connec-r motion, automatic means for varying the horizontal oscillatory motion relative to the vertical oscillatory motion to change the direction of feed motion of the bar, and controlling means for setting said automatic means for'action.

17. In a feeding mechanism for sewing machines, the combination of a drive shaft, a feed bar, actuating means for the bar including an eccentric loosely mounted on the shaft and provided. with circumferentially spaced contacts, a pawl carried by the shaft to engage said' contacts, and means for shifting said pawl into engagement with either contact.

18. In a feedin mechanism for sewing machines, the Vcom ination of a drive shaft, a feed bar, means for operating said bar including an eccentric loose on the shaft and provided with 'circumferentially spaced contacts, a ,'pawl carried by .the shaft to p engage said contacts, means for shifting said pawl to engage either Contact, a second pawl adapted to engage the contacts. and automatic means 'for alternately shifting said second pawl into and out of engagement with the contacts.

19. In a feeding mechanism for sewing machines, a feed bar, means for operating the feed bar including a drive shaft, an eccentric looseon said shaft and provided with spaced contacts, a pawl carried by the said s aft and tripablc to alternately engage said contacts, and means for automatically tripping said pawl.

20. In a feed mechanism for sewing machines, the combination of a drive shaft, a

lfeed bar, means for operating the har including an eccentric loose on the shaft and provided with sipaced contacts, a paw! carried by the sha t and adjustable to engage either contact, a second pawl operating to alternately engage the contacts, means for automatically tripping the said pawl, and means for adjiistng the pawl, said means being operative turender the second pawl inoperative when the first pawl is in cngagement with either contact.

21. In a feeding mechanism for sewing machines, the combination of a feed bar, means for oscillating the same, a clutch device formmg part of said means for vary- 'ing the feed motion to move the bar either forward or backward on such motion, or to Aimpart an alternate back and forth feed motion tlflcreto, and means for controlling said clutch device .for the purposes set forth.

22. In a feeding mechanism for sowing machines, the combination of a drive shaft,

a feed har, means for oscillating the sameA including fixed and loose clutch members l mounted on the shaft, means for setting said clutch members for securing` a backward or forward feed motion ofsaid feed har, and

moans for setting said clutch members to' secure an alternate back and forth feed m0 tion of said bar.

23. In a sewing machine, a feed bar hav ing vertical and horizontal oscillatory motion, a drive shaft, means for operating relatively adjusting said clutch members to set said device with either Contact.

In a sewing machine, a driving shaft, a feed har havingvertical and horizontal oscillatory movements, devices for operating the same including relatively fixed. and loose eccentrics on the shaft, a clutch member on the loose eccentric a coacting clutch member on the shaft, one of said clutch members being provided with a pair of spaced con- Jfacts and the other with a device to engage the same, means for adjusting said device to engage one or the other of said contacts,

and means for automatically throwingsaid device out of engagement with the contacts. In testimon whereof I affix' my signature in presence o two Witnesses.

ARTEMAS In DAWSON, Witnesses:

C. C. HrNEs, JOHN L. FLETCHER. 

